Satirical candidate campaigns for end to dark money and tougher ethics laws

Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race has been estimated to be the most expensive race for Senate ever run in the country — with a price tag of $100 million coming from across the nation. Former President Bill Clinton said the political model is out of control, and another group is joining in on the issue by mocking politicians who are out for the money.

While campaigning at a fundraiser in Lexington on Wednesday for Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes former Clinton said the negative ads coming from across the border is no way for the country to restore shared prosperity.

“This political model of letting big out of state financial interest run a bunch of negative ads to warp peoples judgment get them to turn their brains off and vote in a snit or stay home in disgust is no way to run a great country,” Clinton said.

Joshua Graham Lynn, the program director for represnt.us, is from Kentucky and he is also trying to change the model of how campaign finance works and how many outside groups can influence elections.

Lynn is going about his campaign by running a satirical candidate in the state — Honest Gil Fullbright who is raising awareness of the issue of dark money in politics.

“We are pushing for bold anti-corruption laws all over the country. We’re starting in cities and states getting the anti-corruption passed there redrawing the political map around the country and eventually pushing a wave of reforms around Washington,” Lynn said.

The legislation the group is pushing is the American Anti-Corruption Act which, Lynn said, would change ethics laws so people on the Senate Banking Committee could not raise campaign cash from bankers.

Hear what Lynn says about free speech and what’s next for the plan. (1:16 in the video)

About Nick Storm

Nick Storm is the Anchor and Managing Editor of Pure Politics, the only nightly program dedicated to Kentucky politics. Nick covers all of the political heavyweights and his investigative work brings to light issues that might otherwise go unnoticed, like the connection between the high profile Steubenville, Ohio rape and a Kentucky hacker whose push for further investigation could put him in federal prison. Nick is also working on a feature length bio documentary Outlaw Poet: A documentary on Ron Whitehead. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickStorm_cn2. Nick can be reached at 502-792-1107 or nicholas.storm@charter.com.